380 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



[ Uaj 80, 1867. 



tnt in fine, dry weather, gives a sweet perfume of new-made 

 hay to the garden. Short grass from the mowings of lawns, 

 though often used, are about the worst, not only because in 

 hea-vy rains the little bits of grass are driven into the Straw- 

 berries, and in close, damp weather, mouldinesa of fruit ensues 

 prematurely, but also because such short grass is almost sure 

 to supply a dense crop of Daisies afterwards. Fresh tan 

 is also excellent for the purpose, laid on thinly, and as soon as 

 the fruit is set, as then all the acrid properties of the surface 

 tan are washed away, and neither slugs nor worms like to come 

 in contact with it. We have also tried boards, tiles, slates, Ac, 

 with advantage, though in very hot weather the latter are apt 

 to scorch the fruit, and all such means are good for forming 

 traps beneath them for slugs, &c. On the whole, when the 

 flower-stalks are strong, instead of using tiles or boards, we 

 ■would prefer the simple plan of putting in httle sticks 2 or 

 3 feet apart at the sides of the row, and connecting them with 

 a light string of small cord, which prevents the clusters of fruit 

 falling on the ground. Among some of these modes we trust 

 our humblest readers will find the means for keeping the de- 

 licious fruit from coming in contact with the earth. For want 

 of such simple precautions we have seen fine fruit passed 

 through several pails of water, and then dried on paper before 

 being sent to table. In addition to these precautions were the 

 berries for our own use, we would insist on the fruit being 

 picked with footstalks to hold by, and sent to table in the 

 basket in which they were gathered, or merely turned carefully 

 into a suitable dish, without any attempt at dressing them into 

 cones or other shapes, which can only be done by handling 

 evejy fruit separately. Artistic appearance in all such cases 

 IB gained at the expense of true delicacy and refinement. 



For ornamental department see previona weeks' notices. — 

 B.F. 



COVENT GARDEN MARKET.— Mat 20. 



The weather of the past weekhaa somewhat interfered with operations, 

 bnt not to the extent of causing much difference in the quotations. 

 There is an abundant supply, and vegetation has rapidly overcome the 

 effects 01 the late frosts. Continental produce is of the usual character. 



PBUIT. 



Apples j sieve 



ApricotB doz 4 



Cherries box 2 



Chestnnts bush. 



Currants j sieve 



Black do. 



FlgB d02. 10 



Filberts )b. 



Cobs lb. 



Gooseberries ..quart 



Grapes, Hothouse.. Ih. 5 



Lemons 100 6 



Artichokes each 



Asparagus bundle 4 



Beans, Kidney, per 100 1 



ScarletRun-i sieve 



Beet, Red doz. 2 



Broccoli bundle 2 



Ems. Sprouts i sieve 



Cabbage doz. 1 



Capsicums 100 Q 



Carrots bunch 



Cauliflower doz. 6 



Celery bundle 1 



Cucumbers each 



pickling doz. 



Endive doz. 2 



Fennel bunch 



Garlic lb. 



Herbs bunch 



Horseradish .. bundle 2 



>. d. ■. d 



3 0to4 



4 



S 















Melons each 8 



Nectarines doz. 15 



Oranges loO 5 



Peaches doz. 21 



Pears fdessert) ..doz. 



kitchen doz. 



Pine Apples lb. 5 



Plums j sieve 



Quinces doz. 



Raspberries lb. 



Strawberries oz. 



Walnuts bush. 10 



d. 



0tol2 



24 



































6 







4 





 

 10 

 42 

 

 

 8 

 

 

 

 1 











20 



VEOETABIiES. 

 d. B. d 

 6to0 8 



S 







8 



12 



2 



Leeks bnnch 



Lettuce per score 



Mushrooms pottle 



Ma8td.& Cress, punnet 



Onions per bushel 



Parsley per sieve 



Parsnips doz. 



Peas per quart 



Potatoes bushel 



Kidney do. 



Radishes doz. bunches 

 Rhubarb bundle 



Sea-kale basket 



Shallots lb. 



Spinach bushel 



Tomatoes per doz. 



Turnips bunch 



Vegetable Marrows dz. 



d. 8. d 

 3 too 4 



2 

 2 

 

 6 

 4 

 1 

 4 

 6 





 

 6 

 

 

 

 

 4 



n 







TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 



E. G. Henderson * Son, Wellington Koad, St. John's "Wood, 

 London, N.W.—Catalopue of Stove and Greenhouse Plants, and 

 Bfddmg Plants. 



Francis & Arthur Dickson & Song, lOG, Eastgate Street, and 

 Lpton Nurseries, Chester.— Ca(a;o..7iie of Beddiny Plants, cfc. 



J. Pringle, Wragby, Lincoln.— Catalogue of Bedding Plants 

 and Hoses. 



William Hooper, New Wandsworth, London, S.Vf.— Plant 

 Catalogue. 



Hooper & Co., Covent Garden Market, Lonion.— Catalogue 

 of British and Exotic Ferns. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



•,• We request that no one will write privately to the depart- 

 mental writers of the "Journal of Horticulture, Cottage 

 Gardener, and Country Gentleman." By so doing they 

 are subjected to unjustifiable trouble and expense. All 

 communications should therefore be addressed tolely to 

 The Editors of the Journal of Horticulture, e&c, 171, Fleet 

 Street, London, E.G. 



N.B. — Many questions must remain unanswered until next 

 week. 



Books (CUriew). — Keane's "In-door Gardening," and Eoane's "Oat- 

 door Gardening." If you enclose forty postage stamps with your address 

 they win be sent free by post from this office. 



Trees Opposite the Front of the Palace of St. Clouo is Feance 

 iW. H. C). — Theflo. just now in bloom, and with leaves similar to the leaf 

 of the Lilac, but with the bloom shaped like that of the Wistaria, but pink, 

 are either Corcis siliquastrum or Cercis canadensis. Both are grown 

 about Paris, ond are very similar to each other. 



White Zonal Pelabgoniom (G. it. D.).— If, as you say, your aeedlinK 

 is better than Madame Vaucher, it will be an acquisition. You had better 

 send a cutting bearing trusses of the flowers to the Floral Committee of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society. 



Bundles of Asparagus (./. S.A. G.).— In Covent Garden Market there 

 is no standard for a bundle of Asparagus. The regular market gardeners 

 put 120 in the best, and 150 in the seconds ; but it is brought to market 

 in all quantities, from 25 to 200 in a bundle, by other growers. 



Be2m (C. ^far3tUn). — Wecannot decide whether it is thevariety "Gem '• 

 until wo have seen a pod. 



Fasciated Asparagus (./oJml/rt!/). — For a shoot of Asparagus to become 

 flat, and much enlarged, and even to curl round like a ram's horn, as in 

 the specimen you enclosed, is not uncommon. It is termed "fasciated" 

 by botanists. We never Biiw so large a specimen before as that which 

 you sent. It was fully C inches in circumlertnco at the largest part, and 

 weighed Hj ozs. 



Pelargonium Sport (C. Gilby). — It is not at all uncommon for a cross- 

 bred Pelargonium to produce "a flower very distinct from all its other 

 fl owers. The sport probably resembles those of one of the parents of 

 the plant. 



iNSECT-DESTROTlTto PoWDER (J. Price). — You must decide for yourself 

 whether you keep the preparation secret , and endeavour to obtain a sale 

 for it. There are many such preparations, and you will require a very 

 considerable outlay before you can obtain attention to it ; and even then 

 we fear it would nut acquire a remunerative sale. 



Black Currant Bud Insect (W. F.).— The very minnte wiite insects 

 found in such vast numbers in the buds of Black Currant trees at the 

 present time, in different parts of Scotland, prove to be the young state 

 of a new species of Mite, with only four legs, and a long, cylindrical, 

 fleshy body. Tlieir fully grown state is not known. We can only recom- 

 mend nipping off and buraing those buds which appeared withered from 

 the result of the attacks of these minute creatures, which completely 

 destroy the embryo bloom. — W. 



Mrs. Grieve Tricolored Pelargonium (F.). — The name of this Pelar- 

 gonium has been changed to Victoria Regina. 



Gbapes Spotted [A. B. C). — The small nicer in your Grapes is called 

 by gardeners "the spot." It is probably caused by the roots being not 

 sufficiently active. If you can have the border a little warmer, and supply 

 the roots once a-wcek with liquid manure heated to the temperature of 

 the house, you will be bkuly to checl: the appearance of the disease. 

 In No. 303 of this Journal is the recipe for more speedily skeletonising 

 leaves. 



Pear Trees in Pots Unproductive (J. Don^las\ — Notwithstanding 

 the particular description of your Pear trees in pots, we can form no 

 idea of the cause of your want of success, unless the plants have been 

 treated too kindly, and have been kept in a close instead of an open 

 house. Nectarines and Plums will set freely in a close atmosphere at 

 night, in which Apricots and Pears will drop and refuse to set. 



Oxide of Iron in Water— Hygro3ieter [Amateur). — A small amount 

 of oxide of iron would not, in our opinion, do any harm to Vines, but an 

 extra (juautity most likely would, and we would therefore avoid any but 

 the smallest amount. We havo not had so much experience with Vines ; 

 but we have had pot plants, such as tender Ferns, injured by using 

 water from the hot-water pipes of a hothouse. We cannot tell you where 

 you can have explicit informatiou as to the use of a hygrometer in a vinery, 

 but numerous articles and statements are interspersed in our volumes, 

 and in the " Science and Practice of Gardening." Meanwhile, if you use 

 evaporating-pans on your heating medium, and if in frosty and in bright 

 sunny weather you keep floor, stage, and pathway moderately damp, the 

 bygi'ometric state of the atmosphere of the vinery will be correct. 



Sea-kale Leggy iU. T. Hmitinridon). — Your plants, we imagine, are 

 old, and have long stems with a crown at the end. Wo would not take 

 the plants up and divide, though you may take ulT any stems that are 

 long and straggling, and plant quite up to the crown. M.arch being a good 

 time to do it. We prefer makiug a new plantation of one-year-old plants 

 in February, and, after allowing them a year's growth, forcing in the 

 following year. Seed may be sown in March, and you will have plants by 

 autumn large enough for making a new plantation, and by the second 

 year fit for forcing. Sea-kale requires a good, rich, light, well-drained 

 soil. We advise a new bed, either from sowing seed or planting young 

 plants, in preference to suckers or divisions from the old plants, the old 

 bed being left until the new one comes into bearing. 



Pyramid Pear Trees Unfruitful (E. If.).— The most likely cause of 

 the trees failing to set their fruit is their roots h.iving penetrated into 

 bad soil, or from some other cause not having perfected the flower-budS. 

 We advise you to lift the trees carefully in autumn as soon as the leaves 

 begin to fall, and to shorten any thick roots which go down or extend 

 considerably from the stem, but preserve the fibres as far as possible. If 

 the soil is heavy, plant on a slight mound, and mulch around the stOQlS 

 to the full extent of the roots with 3 inches of littery manure. 



